Drops of Jupiter
by Mists of Venus
Summary: My second SM fic... based on Train's 'Drops of Jupiter'... won Honorable Mention in Bunny's 2001 fanfic contest for General Romance.


Hi again, this is my second attempt at published fanfiction. I hope that  
you enjoyed my first endeavor, and this one is hopefully as good, if not  
better than, the first. As always, comments are welcomed, as well as  
criticism, but no flames, please! E-mail at creb1986@cox.net. Thank you!  
On with the tale!  
  
Drops of Jupiter  
By ~Mists of Venus~  
I remember how all of this started. It began when she came home from  
the Scout conference on the Moon. She slowly descended through the gas  
clouds and landed on the tiny ball of solid matter that makes up the planet  
we rule. When she walked into the throne room, she still had tiny drops of  
dew in her hair, on her eyelashes, and on her shoulders, like so many  
melted snowflakes. Those next few days, she was so slow, so withdrawn; she  
walked around all mopey, like a summer rain. This Scout conference had  
really changed her. I mean, after Crystal Tokyo was returned to a living,  
manageable state, all the Scouts had returned to their respective planets,  
to once again begin the order of peace and respect that had occurred during  
the Silver Millenium. Once every few months, though, they would go to the  
Moon and meet with Neo-Queen Serenity and discuss the goings-on of the  
universe. I guess this time had reminded her of the old days. Anyhow, she  
came home all depressed, and she wouldn't let me help her. I've been her  
best friend since-oh it feels like forever, and she wouldn't tell me  
anything. Even if I tried to ask her, she would just turn away and cry,  
her tears falling like small April showers on her rosy cheeks.  
~*~*~*~  
Now that she's back in the atmosphere  
With drops of Jupiter in her hair, hey, hey  
She acts like summer and walks like rain  
Reminds me that there's time to change, hey, hey  
Since the return of her stay on the Moon  
She listens like spring and she talks like June, hey, hey  
~*~*~*~  
So now she's finally home. After a few days, she told me that she  
just didn't know who she was anymore. She didn't recognize herself through  
all the garb of being Neo-Queen Jupiter. She finally decided to leave and  
go back to her days as a Sailor Scout on 21st century Earth, so she could  
remember her true nature. I was glad for her drive, but I couldn't help  
feeling sad that she was leaving me. But it doesn't matter anymore, she's  
home and that's what matters. And she's so much happier now.  
It's dinnertime. We're sitting in the Great Hall of Jupiter Castle,  
eating our meal. I have been curious for a while about her travels to the  
past, just, too afraid to bring it up. Well, here goes nothing.  
"So, honey, how was your trip to the past?" Yeah, smooth move there,  
just eeease into it. ha.  
"Oh it was really cool. Before I left, Neptune showed me the most  
amazing view of our galaxy through her mirror. You know, seeing the spiral  
and realizing you are inside it really makes other things seem so  
insignificant. Once I got to Pluto, I was on my way!" Her beautiful green  
eyes squeezed shut, and her rose earrings sparkled in the candlelight.  
"Wow, sounds like heaven. So, what all did you find in the past?  
Any men who I'm going to have to go back and beat up?" I winked, but I  
knew there was one she would find. After all, I was the one who helped her  
through that nasty breakup.  
"Yeah, I found a real gem of a guy. I really, really liked him. No,  
I loved him. He was my shining star in the dark of night. But, it turns  
out, he didn't love me the same. That scarred my entire experience with  
men from then on. I had forgotten how I compared every other guy I met to  
him."  
"I know" I replied quietly. Did she not remember that rainy day when  
I found her in that gazebo, crying her eyes out as he walked away? Did she  
not remember me walking her home, under my umbrella so she wouldn't get  
wet? Did she not remember.?  
"So..." I began cautiously, "Didja miss me? Or did you not even  
think about me?"  
~*~*~*~  
Tell me, did you sail across the sun  
Did you make it to the Milky Way to see the lights all faded  
And that heaven is overrated  
Tell me, did you fall for a shooting star  
One without a permanent scar  
And did you miss me while you were looking for yourself out there  
~*~*~*~  
Well, I guess she did gain a lot from going. I mean, since she's  
been back, she's been walking around the castle whistling and such. She  
seems so happy, so fulfilled. I know it did her good. She has gotten a  
new hobby, though. She goes outside every night, and looks at the stars.  
She says that seeing the way they are all so perfectly arranged is amazing  
to her. She says that in the Silver Millenium, her boyfriend would tell  
her that the stars knew everything. Maybe that's why she keeps watching  
them, so she won't ever lose herself again. I don't know, but it seems to  
help her keep her center.  
She's also gotten back into her martial arts. She had had to neglect  
them for so long since she became the Neo-Queen of Jupiter. Today, I was  
walking the halls of the castle, and I heard a familiar sound. The  
energetic sound of violins was ringing through the halls. I investigated.  
Soon, I found the source of the music. I peeked my head into the room, and  
saw my Lita playing Mozart's Violin Concerto no. 3 in G major, and  
practicing her martial arts. Her body moved so fluidly to the music.  
Normally, kung fu and all that stuff looks so harsh to me, but when she  
does it, it looks like a beautiful complicated dance, with only one person.  
I just sat and watched, amazed at how much she had changed, for the  
better, since she came back. She's Lita now, herself.  
~*~*~*~  
Now that she's back from that soul vacation  
Tracing her way through the constellation, hey, hey  
She checks out Mozart while she does tae-bo  
Reminds me that there's room to grow, hey, hey  
~*~*~*~  
I'm lying here in bed, and I can't sleep. I keep thinking back to  
dinner, when she was saying all that stuff about Him. That scumbag that  
broke her heart. I mean, she had finally gotten over him, and stopped  
judging other guys based on him, but now that she's back, I wonder if she's  
judging me on her memories of him. I'm so boring, blah, nothing, compared  
to him. He did treat her well while they were together. He just broke her  
heart, that's all. I remember after they broke up, when she would stay  
over at my house and sob in my arms until she fell asleep, she would tell  
me stories of all the kind things he would do for her. Next to that, I'm  
just a boring old nothing.  
~*~*~*~  
Now that she's back in the atmosphere  
I'm afraid that she might think of me as plain ol' Jane  
Told a story 'bout a man who was too afraid to fly so her never did land  
~*~*~*~  
The other day, I was talking to her, and she just lit up when I  
mentioned Haruka. Apparently, in all the hubbub of being a Queen, she had  
forgotten about her Scout Idol, Sailor Uranus. Also, while she was using  
Pluto's time-travel access, she had made a few trips to the Silver  
Millenium, to ice skate and remind herself of all those good times, too.  
"Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you!" she said today at lunch. I stopped  
by to see Mina- er, I mean, Neo-Queen Venus before I came home!"  
"Oh really?" I looked up, interested. We were good friends with Neo-  
Queen and King Venus, but we had never visited their planet, nor had they  
seen ours.  
"Yes! It's beautiful! The atmosphere is thick, even thicker than  
ours, but underneath, it's so lush and green! It was amazing. I told her  
that she and Neo-King would have to come visit sometime." Her eyes smiled,  
along with the rest of her face, and I could tell she was remembering the  
beauty of the planet of Love.  
"Yes, that would be nice." I said, and turned back to my soup. She  
still hadn't told me she'd missed me. Maybe. no that was too horrible to  
think about.  
~*~*~*~  
Tell me, did the wind sweep you off your feet  
Did you finally get the chance to dance along the light of day  
And head back to the Milky Way  
And tell me, did Venus blow your mind  
Was it everything you wanted to find  
And did you miss me while you were looking for yourself out there  
~*~*~*~  
Can't sleep. Again. This is the fourth night in a row that I  
couldn't get to sleep. I keep thinking about so many things. I still  
don't understand how I have lived so long. I mean, I was frozen in time  
during Crystal Tokyo, just recently brought back to life when it was  
unfrozen. And why do I have such a strange call to the stars? When she  
says things about the stars knowing everything, I just wonder why I have a  
deep-seated agreement?  
And then, I remember her talking so happily about Him. How could she  
forget all the great times we had, back in the 21st century, after they had  
broken up. I mean, she knew I loved her, but that didn't get in the way of  
our friendship. How could she forget her pride in letting him go  
eventually, how could she forget all those times we went out to eat, how  
could she forget?!? Did she not remember the fight she had with Him, did  
she forget me standing by her side while He told her everything she had  
ever done wrong? How could she not remember us dancing together when we  
were four, how could she not remember the many nights we would stay up late  
talking, on the phone, in person, or online? And how could she forget the  
day she found me, the day after Crystal Tokyo was freed, the day we  
rediscovered our undying love for each other that had been frozen for a  
century? How could she? Did she not remember me???  
~*~*~*~  
Can you imagine no love, pride, deep-fried chicken  
Your best friend always sticking up for you even when I know you're wrong  
Can you imagine no first dance, freeze-dried romance, five-hour phone  
conversation  
The best soy latte that you ever had. and me  
~*~*~*~  
"Lita- can we talk?" This was it, I had finally decided to come to  
her and discuss everything, face to face. This would either make me sleep  
easier or sleep worse, and I didn't know which would be easier to attain.  
"Sure!" She smiled, but her face looked confused when she saw the  
distressed look that I'm sure was all over my face.  
"Could you explain some things to me? Please?"  
~*~*~*~  
Tell me, did the wind sweep you off your feet  
Did you finally get the chance to dance along the light of day  
And head back to the Milky Way  
And tell me, did you sail across the sun  
Did you make it to the Milky Way to see the lights all faded  
And that heaven is overrated  
And tell me, did you fall for a shooting star  
One without a permanent scar  
And did you miss me while you were looking for yourself?  
~*~*~*~  
So far, so good. We were talking casually, and I was carefully  
avoiding the Big Questions until the right time.  
"So you got to see everything all over again, the good and the bad?"  
I asked, carefully.  
"Yep! I felt like I was dancing through my life, dancing through day  
and nights!"  
~*~*~*~  
na na na na na-na, na na na na na-na, naaa, naaa  
And did you finally get to dance along the light of day??  
~*~*~*~  
Okay, well I suppose I should go ahead and get this over with.  
"Lita?"  
"Yes, Ken?" She looked at me, almost expecting the delicate  
question. She can be so perceptive, it's scary. I almost lost my nerve.  
"Um, did you forget all about me? I mean, did you fall all back in  
love with--" I couldn't even bear to say the scumbag's name. "with. Him?"  
She looked shocked. "Well, I mean, I remembered how much I cared  
about him."  
"No, I mean, did you fall back in love with him. Meaning, did you  
fall out of love with me?"  
She looked even more shocked. "uh. well. I mean, it's hard to  
explain."  
Someone help me, my heart is breaking apart.  
~*~*~*~  
na na na na na-na, na na na na na-na, naaa naa  
Did you fall for a shooting star, fall for a shooting star?  
~*~*~*~  
"Ken, listen, I could never love anyone as much as I love you. You  
are my best friend and the Love of my Life. However, you have to  
understand that I will always care about-" she paused, realizing I didn't  
want to hear his name, "- Him. But he is the past. You are my present and  
future."  
Deep breath of relief. "Are you sure?"  
"Ken, I have never been more sure of anything in my life."  
*~*  
I sit under the stars, my wife and love in my arms. We stare up at  
the stars, that we both realize know everything. We contacted Earth, where  
Neo-King Endyimon explained that I was actually his general from the Silver  
Millenium, Nephlite. We were confused at first, but he explained that when  
we were "brainwashed", our bodies were actually taken over by hypnotic  
Negaverse youmas, and our conscious selves were shoved back into the far  
reaches of our physical bodies. When Queen Serenity sent everyone to the  
future, our true essences were able to escape to other bodies. So, when  
our physical bodies were destroyed by Beryl, we still lived on,  
unconscious, in the bodies of four young men. My 21st century body was  
named Ken, who was Lita's best friend. I now understand why I feel like  
I've known her forever, because I have.  
My beautiful wife interrupts my thoughts. "Look" she whispers. "Can  
you tell what the stars say about tonight?"  
I look up at the sky. "Yes."  
It's written in the stars- Love overcomes all obstacles. To  
consecrate this, we kiss, under the stars that have told us everything.  
~*~*~*~  
na na na na na-na, na na na na na-na, naa naa  
Were you lonely looking for yourself out there?  
~*~*~*~  
  
~Fin. 


End file.
